Focus | October 1, 2004

Contents
Neurobiology
Anesthesia
Genetics
State of the School
Biomedical Computing
Research Briefs
Bulletin
Forum

October 15, 2004

david corey NEUROBIOLOGY: Ion Channel Protein in Inner Ear Is Likely Long-sought Key to Hearing
A team of scientists from HMS and other institutions may have identified the crucial protein deep in the inner ear that transforms sound waves into nerve impulses. Located at the tips of microscopic hairlike structures, the channel represents the culmination of recent advances detailing the system of molecular strings, springs, and levers at the heart of hearing. The study was published online Oct. 13 in Nature by first author David Corey and his colleagues.

ANESTHESIA: Study Finds How Aspirin Dampens Inflammation
A new study appearing in the Oct. 7 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences demonstrates that low-dose aspirin may help prevent chronic inflammation associated with cardiovascular disease. A clinical trial led by Charles Serhan shows that taking a baby aspirin every day triggers a signal that quells inflammation, a previously unknown mechanism for aspirin in humans. The common and inexpensive medication may even outsmart the heavily promoted selective COX-2 inhibitors, which fail to produce this anti-inflammatory signal.

GENETICS: Broken Calcium Gate Leads to Heart Syndrome with Related Autism
Mark Keating (left), Igor Splawski, and their colleagues have discovered the molecular cause of Timothy syndrome, a lethal genetic disorder marked by abnormal heart rhythms and autism. A rare mutation in a ubiquitous calcium channel perturbs the development and function of nearly every organ, including the nervous system. The work, reported in Cell Oct. 1, underscores the profound importance of calcium signaling in development and physiology and opens up new avenues for research into the biology of autism, a common disease whose cause and cure remain unknown.

joseph martin STATE OF THE SCHOOL: Martin Draws Picture of Tangible Progress at HMS
In his seventh annual State of the School address, HMS dean Joseph Martin described some of the path-breaking research and education programs that have yielded results over the past year. He also pointed to future opportunities like the planning of the Harvard Allston campus, which is "one of the most important issues we will be facing," he said.